I wrote my band’s bio…and some of it is true…

January 29, 2010

The Story of the Outta State Plates

It was at a church picnic in the summer of 1965, on a foggy Sunday afternoon in the Haight district of San Francisco (Our Lady of the Perpetual Groove) that young guitarist, French horn player and theatre professional Giles Colahan and his friend from art school, trombonist, guitarist, voiceover guy and writer Barry Wightman, played their first big time gig as the Silvertones. Because of the clammy fog, the crowd was sparse but that didn’t deter the two earnest young rock ‘n rollers as they played what were to become legendary local hits Beer Money, First I’ll Buy Some Beads and Are You Hung Up?. In the audience along with Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia and George Harrison, was a young hippie rock chick singer just off a high-ballin’ freight train from Tulsa, Oklahoma—Jude Kinnear. Having gone through the breakup of the legendary Raingutters and made a serious name for herself as Fred and Ethel, Jude (the Milwaukee Journal’s Dave Tianen says “she fills her songs with soul”) was ready for a change. She joined the Silvertones. But then they changed the name to the Outta State Plates.

The rest is Milwaukee music history.

Giles, Jude and Barry played taverns, sidewalk sales, snack bars, coffee houses, cafes, taco stands, parties, weddings, divorces, nudist camps, campfires and puppet shows across the country. But it was on their world tour of Canada that they realized they needed a bass player of some note. Fortunately for them, in the audience on that foggy night in Moosylvania, Saskatchewan, young David Partrick had brought his trusty Fender bass and already knew all their songs thanks to late night CBC and pirate radio broadcasts. David promptly left the legendary Wafting Pantlegs, the Paul Curtis Band and Hot Toddy and joined the ‘Plates.

Then after twenty more years on the road, the ‘Plates felt the need for another singer, a new added vocal dimension. While playing another church picnic in Milwaukee, young artist, trombonist, graphic designer, 15th Century Italian bon vivant and man about town Tom Charney made his way onto the bandstand, grabbed a mic, sang the legendary Danke Schoen and all the girls swooned—the rest is Milwaukee music history.

But it wasn’t until many years later that the ‘Plates realized they needed a drummer. Fortunately, Giles remembered the legendary Bobby Vinton national tour of 1962 when the legendary Robbs stole the show—he recalled how Bob Ellicson just rocked the old Surf Ballroom and after a few telexes and candygrams, Bob was convinced to leave Slappen Joe and Group Therapy and hook up with the Outta State Plates.

And along with the 7th Plate and Side Dish, Sound Guy Stu “Eyebrows” Jacobs, the Outta State Plates are coming to your town to rock the joint, play some legendary tunes and spread laughter and cheer.